"In its multitude of forms, Hylotelephium cauticola is probably the most common of the miniature species of genus Hylotelephium. Plants form a loose carpet of suberect stems, each about 12 cm long, carrying mainly opposite, glaucous-gray leaves heavily spotted with purple. .... Opposite, almost circular, fleshy, flat-to-cupped leaves with obscure teeth are the best pointer, but in recent years the trade has propagated and distributed several hybrids and several dubious names. In England the most commonly used name for this species is 'Lidakense', which is a valid name for a small regional variation. Unfortunately, this is often misquoted as 'Hidakense'. ....

H. cauticola could possibly be confused with H. ewersii var. homophyllum or H. pluricaule, but neither of these species have obscure teeth on the leaf margins. H. sieboldii has such teeth, but its leaves are ternate rather than opposite. H. cauticola has large, ovate, entire cupped, petiolate bracts that partially enclose the flower buds.

Often plants produce scattered rather than opposite leaves, but this is no indication of hybridization. Many plants offered in the trade are of hybrid origin" :

"H. 'Lidakense' [not a hybrid] is the most common form in cultivation with small almost-entire, ovate leaves. It is probably just a minor regional Japanese form, not a form spontaneous in cultivation. It is a better soil coverer than the type species. ... The true species has a rather distinctive leaf shape and is exceptionally rare in cultivation."